Scalar field haloes as gravitational lenses

Abstract

A non-topological soliton model with a repulsive scalar self-interaction of the Emden type provides a constant density core,similarly as the empirical Burkert profile of dark matter haloes. As a further test, we derive the gravitational lens properties of our model, in particular, the demarcation curves between `weak' and `strong' lensing. Accordingly, strong lensing with typically three images is almost three times more probable for our solitonic model than for the Burkert fit. Moreover, some prospective consequences of a possible flattening of dark matter haloes are indicated.